Return to the Spire
''PLOTLINE: This story deviates from the main storyline immediately after the war against Sōsuke Aizen, creating a parallel timeline where the Thousand-Year Blood War does not take place. As such, there will be inconsistencies.'' This follows the events from Into the Dark. Captain Commander Nobuyuki found himself deep within the levels of Hell and face-to-face with Los Pecadores. Ripped from Soul Society, the old captain battled against Ardent Zorn and the powerful Los Pecadores leader, Leonel Grande. Now, the Shinigami are dealing with the abduction of their own leader and hopes to find any clues to where he may disappeared. What could Los Pecadores want with the Captain Commander and what other evils live within the walls of Hell? Part I: In Hell While infinite in its size, Hell is not without structure. When one first enters Hell, they are overcome with an incredibly dense reiatsu that could drive normal willed souls into madness. The best way to describe Hell would be to picture an upside down pyramid. Divided into nine equally spaced levels. Each level is designated for a certain type of tormented soul and normally unable to leave. Since this place is filled with dangerous beings, the Shinigami could not patrol this place alone. Instead, the job of security falls on the shoulders of the massive Kushanāda. The Kushanāda are the guardians of Hell. They are very large beings who walk on all fours, similar to primates, and have elongated skull-like heads and a large piece of armor on their right shoulders. The Kushanāda watch over the Togabito, punishing them for their crimes they committed while they were alive. If they catch a Togabito, they will eat it, only for it to revive itself sometime later. Under normal circumstances, the Kushanāda is all that is needed to control the dangerous realm of Hell. But each level of Hell is different than the next, in appearance and in those who serve their time. The top most level is known as Pratus and features a multitude of white blocks floating in mid-air among a series of blue pathways. It is on this level that many of the dejected Togabito reside, having given up on resistance, but is also where the majority of Kushanāda patrol frequently, in order to prey upon the weaker Togabito. Once you go to the lower levels, the landscape changes and the danger of those Togabito increases even further. The lower one travels, the more confined and vicious the levels become. These levels house some of the fiercest and vicious creatures that could have ever committed sins in the Living World, and their environment show it. Some landscapes are composed of dust grinded from the bones of Togabito, to seas of raging lava, lakes of acid, thick smoke that chokes and blinds you. Clusters of trees with branches so sharp that those living there are trapped in an endless cycle of pain. Storms rip through the air with such intensity that it can instantly destroy a single Togabito. With these dangerous conditions, the Togabito are continuously slaughtered by Hell and are reborn to endure it again for all eternity. These levels continue like this for eight levels until you reach the Ninth Level. It is unknown what this level is, but legends speak of only one inhabitant guarded by legions of Kushanāda. It is here that the Great Hell King, Leonel Grande, was confined. And it was from here that he was able to escape. While there appears to be several access points to travel between the different levels of Hell, they are few and far between, and most often are quite dangerous. Normal Togabito would be killed during the travel, though stronger beings are able to travel with less difficulty. But this is not the only way to travel through the levels. At the very center of Hell, a monolithic structure exists that connects them all. From the outside, it looks ancient with its chipped walls that reach up to the sky. A series of archways created layers to look from, leaving a path for any to walk. But these paths would just wrap around the Turris in an endless spiral for there were no doorways that led inside. Instead, just a flat inner stone wall that wrapped around the structure. It is impossible to breach by any that exist in Hell. This is the mighty "Turris". It is unknown when the Turris was created, though its aged appearance and legends date it to be among the first creations in Hell. It towers all things and its reach is nearly limitless. The very top of the Turris, somewhere miles above Pratus, ends in some form of observatory with a ring of white stone floating in a perfect circle. This appears to be the only opening of Turris. At the base of the observatory are large archways, hundreds in number as they circle the circle. But no Togabito can pass through. An unknown energy prevents entry. Though with that said, here sits the Lust, Roxanna Valentino, in her large plush red couch covered in red silk robes that appear as if she were bathing in blood. From the observatory she can overlook all of Pratus. Dangerously beautiful, she sipped from a wine glass and gingerly passed her fingers through her hair. While the Togabito suffered an endless cycle of torture and mutiliation, she sat comfortable at the top of the world in luxury. "This is so much better than that dusty old castle in Las Noches." She said and reached back with her arms, arching her back and stretched. Above her was a dome of stained glass with the history of Hell depicted in its imagery. The structure is not unlike Las Noches. It was similar in size and form, though the outside was not as smooth and flat. While no Togabito could enter the Turris, Los Pecadores could freely move about in this massive structure. It was their home in Hell, and from here they could travel to any level they wish and plan their every move without worry. The massive room in which she laid was more like a cathedral than anything else, with high ceiling and thick stone pillars supporting the entire thing. Numerous iron lanterns hung from them, burning a distinct blue flame, that helped illuminate the room. Roxanna took another sip of wine just as Ivan walked through a blackended doorway. As he stepped from the shadows he fixed his tie and then casually spun his cane in his hand. He whistled a soft low tune while walking towards another seating area near Roxanna. Roxanna observed Ivan then took her eyes away once he sat down. "Looks like Leonel is enjoying himself with that old Shinigami." She swirled the wine in her glass and took another sip. "Captain Nobuyuki is an extraordinary specimen. There was no question that he wouldn't be taken without effort." The light from the lanterns flashed across his glasses. "But I have the utmost confidence in our Lord." And a sinister smile formed across his face. "Will you be visiting our other guest?" Roxanna asked. "Once our Lord arrives with Captain Nobuyuki, we will need to prepare the captain for the Machine." Roxanna's interest peaked once Ivan mentioned the Machine. "Our guest continues to be in a sedated state thanks to you." And Ivan gave a nod towards Roxanna who returned the gesture by raising her glass to him. "And when all those preparations are complete, we'll begin Stage 2 of our plan." Roxanna added. "Precisely." Ivan responded in a more excited tone. "The Lord's plan is flawless so long as we all play our parts as they are written. We cannot deviate from them. We anticipate casualties during Stage 2, but that's not important. What's important is Stage 3, the final stage." "Then we need to begin preparing our forces." Roxanna brought herself into a sitting position, no longer laying across the cough. The tight red dress hugged her body well and the high slit in it revealed a good amount of her right leg and thigh. "Ardent is already assembling the Damnato, and Aníbal is bringing the Nueva Espada together at Las Noches." Hmmf. Roxanna let out a small breath at the sound of Aníbal's name. "Aníbal Huerta. The son of Leonel Grande. I don't understand how he can be so different from his father and sister." "Well we can't all be savage killers, can we?" Ivan asked slyly with a grin on his face. "But for now, I have to get back to our guest. With our plans unfolding as quickly as they are, I'll need to get him ready." Roxanna looked at her glass with those ruby eyes. "Don't worry. If Captain Ojima makes too much of a fuss, I know exactly how to deal with him." Part II: Wearing the Black Another violent quake shook the landscape from Captain Commander Nobuyuki's bout with Los Pecador Leader, Leonel Grande. The individuals draped in black garbs and yinyang masks were sprawled around the rocky barren landscape. All eight of them were unidentifiable, but their builds varied from tall and skinny to short and pudgy. There was one that was much larger than the others sitting on the ground like a lump. They gathered around a small rock formation near a giant pool of yellow acid. The noxious gases created thick grey clouds that rolled through the area in large clumps. One sat on top of a tall black rock, legs indian style with its head propped on its hand and supported by its elbow on top of a knee. His voice was high pitched, but discernably male. "He he he, looks like there's one heck of a battle going on down there." Once again, another quake rolled through when he finished his sentence. To his immediate left, standing tall at the base the rock was another figure covered in black tattered clothing. This one did not make a sound, and simply looked towards the center at two additional figures standing at the center. It did not speak, nor did the other Togabito know if it even had the capacity to speak. It merely stared as one responded to the other. "Lord Leonel is busy subduing the Shinigami Captain Commander." The shorter of the two spoke with a male voice, as well, but his words rolled out of his mouth much smoother. A quake caused one of the lava pools to explode from the force like a gyser, spraying its acid against the black and grey landscape and causing it to dissolve with a sizzling sound. Creating more clouds of grey that joined the rest. An older sounding male spoke from the opposite side of the first figure spoke out. His white gloved hand holding on to a long wooden staff that twisted from the base to the top, forming into a circle where a large green orb sat. "I can't believe he's even having that much trouble." He spoke condescendingly. The figure in the center immediately shot back to him. "Are you implying something, Urbgend?" He asked sternly. The way he spoke implied that he held some authority over the others as the remaining figures perked up and held their attention to his response. "Of course not, Gildrum." Urbgend rose his hand, open and flat with his palm facing Gildrum. "I would never question Lord Leonel's strength. I just assumed that given his power, he could defeat the Shinigami in less time." "Maybe he's enjoying himself." A distinct female voice came from a shorter figure wrapped in a long black cloth with the same mask as the others. "I know I would." The first figure added and let out a cackle of laughter. "Calm down, Bakubaku." The taller figure standing at the center spoke out. "C'mon, Fraunboldt. Just having a laugh." Bakubaku rolled on to his back and reached his hands out to the sky. "What I wouldn't give to roast some Shinigami right now.'' Oh hey, Shinigami. What am I doing here? Oh, that's easy. Well I'm here to... BOOM!" Bakubaku imitated the sound of explosions and let out another bout of laughter. "And you'll have your chance, freak." A deep voice echoed after another quake. Ardent stepped through the grey smoke and all the figures instantly brought themselves to face the Pecador as he walked up to them. "Time to earn your keep, Togabito. Show me that you're not completely useless." "Are we heading to the Human World now?" Gildrum questioned Ardent. "You'll begin your invasion as soon as we give the signal. So move your asses and get in to position." He scanned around the area. One of the figures who seemed to have no arms shuffled its way over to the tall Pecador before the female Togabito pulled it back by the shoulder. "You do remember what you're supposed to do, right?" He asked the group. Bakubaku jumped down from the rock. "We give the Humans a good show. Bring some mayhem, add a little carnage, sprinkle a bit of destruction. And when the Shinigami show up, we kill them all." Gildrum interjected. "The Damnato won't fail." "You better not. Because immortality can be a real bitch when everyday is more painful then the last. And I can make sure you spend your eternities under my boot wishing your worthless existence would end." Ardent stated boldly and loudly before seemingly disappearing from their sights using his Perlabor. The female Togabito grabbed a handful of her black cloak and tugged on it. "Why do we need to wear these ridiculous outfits?" Gildrum turned to her. "We have to wear them, Zuri. To remain undetected by the Kushanāda." "I don't understand how Los Pecadores can rule over Hell but not those beasts." She let the fabric slip from her hands. Urbgend added to the conversation. "The Kushanāda were created for a single purpose. While they remain loyal here in Hell, any who leave it will be brought back by them. It seems their main purpose can't be entirely overwritten. So long as we wear the cloaks, we can travel throughout the Human World without worry of being dragged back here." "It is a shame that it restricts our powers, though." Bakubaku examined his outfit. "We can only remove it as a last resort. And even then, we only have a few minutes before the Kushanāda became aware of our disappearance." Gildrum began walking away from the center. "Its time to go." Part III: Machina The Arrancar was feverishly working the control panel underneath his fingers as he stared up at the large flat screen resting in front him, suspended by bronze piping extending from the ceiling down towards him. The clicking sounds followed a rhythmic beat and watched the commands float past the screen with his one bright yellow eye. The other one was covered by the remnants of his hollow mask: a large white monacle with a black void inside. His one blonde bushy eyebrow slanted downward as if deep in concentration. He pressed a final button and the screen beeped. He stood on a long platform sectioned off by a similar bronze railing that overlooked the center of the room. The room itself was large and circular, while the height of it appeared to run the entire length of the Turris. The walls were lined with thick tubes as an unknown energy traveled up and down it. There was a low humming noise, accompanied by an occassional hissing sound as steam escaped from vents spaced out throughout the area. There was no floor in front of him. Instead, a series of catwalks extended from the edges of the room towards the middle. They connected to a ring surrounding a huge metal construct. It had a twisted form, composed entirely of bronze tubes and rusted metal blocks. The tubes fed into a cyllindrical tank filled with a pink liquid. A figure floated inside with eyes that appeared vacant and in a trance. Despite being completely submerged, he breathed normally. There, dressed in nothing but white briefs, was 13th Division Captain Gan Ojima. The Arrancar stepped away from the panel and grabbed a grey clipboard. He walked up the edge of the platform and unlocked the safety door so that he could walk out towards the captain. With its vastness, each step against the rusted metal walkway echoed around him. He checked off a few boxes as he went down the sheet of paper. "And how is our guest today, Droga?" Ivan walked out through the only doorway to the room located directly behind the platform. "Captain Ojima seems to be responding to our suggestions. But his willpower is proving to be much stronger than we anticipated." The blonde haired Arrancar responded as he examined the Shinigami inside. "I anticipate we will require Roxanna again to subdue him." Ivan walked up to Droga and joined in watching Captain Ojima. "Its imperative that we keep him under our control." Ivan's eyes went up to the top of the machine where a long spear hung suspended by nothing but air. "Maintaining his Shikai in constant release is essential to our plans. If he begins to resist, notify me at once." He looked over towards Droga Khimaira, the 7th Espada of the Nueva Espada. "Of course, Lord Frederixe." He bowed in the direction of Ivan. "When will we be receiving our second guest?" Ivan adjusted his glasses and went back to looking over the machine, walking around it and examining. "Once our Lord brings in the Captain Commander, we can begin preparing ''Machina for our surprise assault. When we siphon all of his spiritual power, that'll amplify Captain Ojima's Zanpakutō abilities, forcing him to go Bankai and allow us access to those powers at an even greater level." Ivan paused for a moment and smiled. "Of course, Machina will burn out both Shinigami in the process. But at that point, they will have served their purpose. We'll have successfully duplicated the power source and dimensional gates, and we won't have to worry about eliminating them afterwards." "Machina will require some time to duplicate that power." Droga added. "Not a concern. The Shinigami won't be able to locate them in time." Ivan responded. The liquid in the tank bubbled and Captain Ojima twitched as he continued to float in a nearly comatose state. "You two should head to Las Noches." Ivan spoke without looking at Droga. "Two, my Lord?" Droga asked confused. "Oh, Droga. One thing you should know is that you're never truly alone here in Turris." Droga turned his face perplexed as Ivan smiled at him. "Isn't that right, Eggor?" Off in the distance, deep in the shadows of the room, a pair of glowing orbs formed and a ghoulish face peered out. It was followed by his jet black hair and a body seemingly shrouded in the very shadows he hid in. Eggor's face stared down at the two with his constant blank expression. When Droga realized that he was being observed all this time, he grew annoyed and scouled towards Eggor. "There, there, Droga." Ivan stepped between Droga and Eggor. "Its just in his nature to be curious." Droga turned his attention back to Ivan. "But for now, I will need you two to return to Hueco Mundo and prepare for your part. Leave our guest to me. He'll have company soon enough." <-- Previously in Into the Dark Continued in Light Against Light --> Trivia *Coming Soon.